TOXIC

I put brush guards on my jeep wranglers tail lights because I did the occasional flyfishing guide trip which required I go up some logging roads. The VA state inspector failed the jeep because of them. Sitting right next to my 1993 Jeep was a new model with.....you guessed it.....factory installed brush guards on the tail lights. It passed and the factory set were actually wider and blocked more of the tail light than the ones I had on. He told me since they were factory installed they were approved. I sat in the parking lot and took them off my Jeep so it would pass. I was not happy.

As for the Senko, yes, Texas rig it which means you use an extra wide gap (ewg) hook with an offset shank. The hook point gets reinserted into the bait. There are tons of videos on this. Keep in mind ANY bait or lure you throw into wood and other cover like rip rap and heavy grass, will get snagged and will get snagged much easier if it has exposed hooks. Your other option is to hire a guide for a day and tell him upfront you want to learn as many techniques as possible. He will have the gear/lures and expertise to show you how/where to fish them. I can tell and show folks pictures and videos all day but once you are on my boat it will all make sense. Well worth your $.

Yeow! I always keep a close eye on the rope. It has gotten wrapped a few times.

Don’t put any weight on your senko. Texas rig with a 3.0 gamakatsu ewg hook and fish away. It will reduce your snags by 90%. Be very patient and fish it slow. This advice coming from a guide who has put hundreds of new comers on fish. ?

While you are right, a boat left out in the elements will deteriorate very quickly, one that has the proper precautions will be just fine. My boat has never been parked under cover but I take extra precautions to make sure Mother Nature is kept at bay. We get snow here and hot temps as well and for a 2005 model year, I think mine has done well. No weather damage.

Comprehension fail on my part.?. The Shad are spawning here and there are a lot of river fishermen out gunning for them right now. American and Gizzard.

I just use a longer rope tied to the front boat cleat and walk it down to a dock post or cleat. Float the boat off just making sure the rope doesn’t get under the truck or hung up on the trailer. You never have to get out of your truck on the ramp incline.

I’ve only fished then for catfish bait and we threw Shad darts for them.

You got that right. I’ve seen the State Police stop lifted trucks and measure both the height of the bumper off the ground and the amount of tire outside the fender well. Too much of Either one is a violation. And the one I see written up a LOT are tint tickets.

Here in Virginia it’s a law that any aftermarket lights added to your truck that are above your front bumper have to be covered when you are not off road. We also require inspections annually and I have had my jeep flunked because I have aftermarket round lights mounted on windshield hinge mounts. If they do the inspection properly, there are marks on the wall to measure the proper height of your headlights. My 2016 High Country Silverado is bone stock and I get flashed with high beams often and I have the HID light package. I even get flashed when I am not towing. I asked the dealer and the checked my adjustment and told me that a lot of people are not used to seeing the brighter white lights of HID as opposed to the old style that are dimmer and more yellow. I was told they are not blinding them, they are just a different light. I know the feeling because I see the same thing when I am driving from other vehicles. Before I flash my brights which are very bright, I always look to see if the other vehicles fog lights are on because on most all current vehicles, you can’t run your fog lights with your hi-beams.

As has been said, if you can’t do your own maintenance, a boat can be frustrating and expensive. I fall right in the middle. I’m no mechanic but I can do the general maintenance and I have a good friend who is a good mechanic. Maintenance is key and the more your boat sits, the more there is. I am in a bad situation right now. My boat has been sitting for a good long time because I have been going with one of my friends most every weekend and we towed his boat behind my truck to Florida. I need to decide whether to drain the fuel or just top it off and go run it. It’s a 2 stroke Yamaha 250 with 480 hours so it’s good and broken in.?

Tranny problems with the chevys are well known. They had a problem with them downshifting very hard and at some inopportune times. There is a TSB out on it and very easy to look up. My 2016 5.3 with the 8 speed would occasionally do a hard downshift and when I read about the recall the dealer did the fix which is a drain and refill of a different transmission fluid. But you are looking at Fords so I would just suggest you go to a Ford owners group and read about the model you are looking at. You will get the good, bad and ugly.

Problem has always been that unless you get a long bed, rods have to angle in. That’s why you see all of the pros with storage tubes on the top of their caps. I have a flat tonneau so I have ended up just wrapping the tips in a packing blanket and bungee the butts at the tailgate.

I was a little hesitant to reply since I seem like a Yamamoto broken record but I was pleasantly surprised to see the responses for the Yamamoto DShad. It has a very fast sink rate. I have told this story before but it saved a trip to Lake St Clair. The smallmouth didn’t want any of our usual offerings like tubes or hard baits and we were struggling for bites. I decided to drag a DShad like a tube drift fishing. Keep in mind I rig my DShads weightless on 6lb mono with no braid or leader on a 7ft spinning rod. I was dragging the DShad in 5 to 13 feet of water and it was no problem getting it that deep and keeping it that deep. I was in constant bottom contact. My fishing partner and I absolutely crushed them and we went through at least 7 bags of DShads. It wasn’t a 1 time deal either, I have replicated it on subsequent trips.

A 21 foot Ranger with 52 gallons of fuel and enough gear to outfit a small tackle shop makes a lot of difference in mpg.?Yes I can tell it’s back there. Enough so that my best mileage not towing is 22.8. I hit that once and have never since. My best mileage towing is 16. I use Tow/Haul mode because I found there is about a 20 degree temperature difference in my transmission when it is not engaged.

He just used the power pole.

Since there seems to be questioning of established norms, what about the theory (and what were told on most every fishing show) that California “Record” bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spots) all come from lakes where trout are stocked.?

The talon is a solid spike but an anchor on a rope is not and the talon will spin around the rope. My tournament partner when I lived in Florida had 1 power pole on a 21 foot Ranger and was pretty skilled at positioning the boat so it didn’t spin.

I am a good example of towing logic. I never wanted to worry about towing and having transmission, power or braking problems. I tow long distances as well. My truck of choice in 2004 was a Silverado 3/4 ton HD, 6.0, 4.10 gearing and locking rear. The HD got me an upgraded towing package with oversized brakes and tranny cooler. I towed a NITRO 929 all over then pulled my current boat, a 21 foot Ranger. Obviously I had no problems but I got 9-12mpg while towing. When it reached 150,000 miles I went to the dealership and the new truck sales manager who is also an avid fisherman, assured me that the advances in 1/2 ton trucks since 2004 would tow my Ranger with no problems and get better mpg while doing it. I ended up with a High Country, 5.3, 8 speed tranny, tow package, new in 2016. I have been driving it trouble free since new. I have towed multiple times from Virginia to Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida. I firmly believe the difference is the 8 speed tranny. My best mpg towing is 12-14, not towing 16-18. I do miss the extra weight and braking power from the 3/4 ton but otherwise the 1/2 ton is fine. The reason I went through this long explanation is that you will get close to the same numbers towing with the Taco if not even a little less mpg and you will be in a dicey situation. If you want a glass boat of any size......18 foot or larger.......buy a new/used vs a new if price is a consideration 1/2 ton of your choice and sleep well at night.

You are lucky. You will be in Elk Creek where the water temperature will be manageable. Mid June on the hotside the water temps can get over 80 degrees. I’ve seen it near 100 in August. Stay in the creek and you should do fine. Look for the deeper drop offs.

If you have a talon that can reach bottom, you will want the anchor to be off the front of the boat so you don’t swing in the wind.

My motto is “You can’t fight Mother Nature”. Most all of the solutions that have been stated are valid and will work. I have used them all, trolling motor, anchor, spot lock, power poles, drift sock, even used the big motor to hold a spot while someone fished up front. The thing to remember is you have to use whatever is necessary and to not fight the conditions any more than you have to. The less you fight the more you will succeed.?

Managed to get back out there again last Saturday. Unfortunately it was after those cold nights. It was 27 degrees on my way down there. Still didn’t find any beds and if I had to guess we caught a lot of bucks up shallow. We also caught catfish, white perch and stripers in 35 foot of water in pool 1.

While not an heirloom by any stretch, I had a Sammy top water that had caught hundreds of fish and survived multiple years of trips to Michigan’s lake St Clair and it’s healthy pike and musky population. It was my favorite topwater. While on the Rappahonock catching striper, I made a long cast up a creek where they were schooling and heard that gut wrenching snap and the agonizing wait for the lure to come down all the while praying you can get to it. I heard it hit in the reeds way to far up the creek to get.??

Just an FYI, Yamamoto Zako is now available in a paddle tail. I would not put the regular Zako as a stand alone because it lacks action but is great on a chatterbait. I would use the new paddle tail Zako as a stand alone or on an under spin.